Day 01 La
Serena /
Coquimbo
Transfer
from airport
to the hotel
The tour
departs from
the city
centre by
way of the
main square,
the Plaza de
Armas. La
Serena is
the second
oldest city
in Chile
after
Santiago and
it maintains
a Spanish
neo-colonial
style
according to
the "Plan
Serena"
which was
implemented
by
legislation
unique in
Chile, which
allowed the
city to grow
yet keep its
own style.
The heritage
of the city
includes 30
churches, a
romantic
avenue of
replica
classical
Italian
statues and
townhouses
dating from
the last
century
together
with public
buildings
according to
the Plan
Serena.
The first
stop is the
Archaeological
Museum which
gives
insight into
the early
history of
the El
Molle,
Animas and
Diaguita
cultures and
their impact
on the
settlement
of this
region with
examples of
their
craftsmanship
in their
remaining
artefacts.
An original
Moai statue
from Easter
Island is
also
impressively
on display.
The tour
visits the
picturesque
"artesania"
market of La
Recova, full
of typical
crafts,
papaya
products
cultivated
from the
Elqui Valley,
jumpers
knitted from
alpaca wool,
ceramics
with
Diaguita
designs,
crafts in
combarbalita
stone and
jewellery
specially
crafted from
the lapis
lazuli semi
precious
stone which
is only
found in
this region
of Chile and
the Americas.
Back to
hotel in La
Serena. Back
to hotel in
La Serena.
Lodging.
Day 02 Elqui
Valley and
Mamalluca
Observatory
visit
The tour of
this vibrant
valley last
all day but
leaves the
tourist
feeling more
energized
that when he
left in the
morning. The
valley is
tinged with
an esoteric
air and many
insist that
it is the "energy
centre" of
the world .This
place is a
geographic
configuration
which is
unique in
the world.
It is a
narrow, but
fertile
strip of
land where
vegetables,
papayas,
lucuma,
chirimoya
trees (custard
apple), and
grapes grow
alongside
the
hillsides,
covered with
cacti, of
the semi
arid desert.
The tour
departs from
the city of
La Serena
along Route
41 towards
Vicuna going
alongside
the banks of
the river
Elqui which
provides
irrigation
for this
fertile
valley.
